Optical device having efficient light-matter interface for quantum simulations

Abstract

An optical device comprising a single-photon device, which is coupled to a planar waveguide is described. The planar waveguide comprises a nanostructured section, which includes a longitudinal extending guiding region with a first side and a second side, a first nanostructure arranged on the first side of the guiding region, and a second nanostructure arranged on the second side of the guiding region. The nanostructured section comprises a slow-mode section, in which the single-photon device is positioned or embedded, and in which the first nanostructure and second nanostructure suppress spontaneous emission into other modes. The planar waveguide further comprises a fiber coupler for coupling light out of the planar waveguide and into an optical fiber, the fiber coupler preferably being adapted to match a field profile of an optical fiber.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical device comprising:
 a single-photon device, which is coupled to a planar waveguide, wherein the planar waveguide comprises a nanostructured section, which includes:
 a longitudinal extending guiding region with a first side and a second side, 
 a first nanostructure arranged on the first side of the guiding region, and 
 a second nanostructure arranged on the second side of the guiding region, 
 
 wherein the nanostructured section comprises a slow-mode section, in which the single-photon device is positioned or embedded, and in which the first nanostructure and second nanostructure suppress spontaneous emission into other modes, 
 wherein the planar waveguide further comprises: a fibre coupler for coupling light out of the planar waveguide and into an optical fibre. 
 
     
     
       2. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the planar waveguide further comprises a fast-mode section arranged after the slow-mode section. 
     
     
       3. An optical device according to  claim 2 , wherein the fast-mode section is directly coupled to the slow-mode section and wherein the fast-mode section and slow-mode section are impedance matched. 
     
     
       4. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the planar waveguide further comprises a slow-to-fast transition section arranged after the slow-mode section providing a transition from slow-mode light to fast-mode light. 
     
     
       5. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the fiber coupler comprises and out-of-plane grating-to-fibre coupler having a second width and being adapted to coupling light out of the device and match the field profile of an optical fiber. 
     
     
       6. An optical device according to  claim 5 , wherein a pre-grating transition section having a gradual transition from the first width to the second width is arranged between the ridge waveguide and the grating-to-fibre coupler. 
     
     
       7. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the planar waveguide includes a ridge waveguide having a first width and arranged so that the fast-mode light from the nano-structured section is coupled into the ridge waveguide. 
     
     
       8. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the planar waveguide further comprises a fast-mode section arranged after the slow-mode section, a ridge waveguide arranged after the fast-mode section, and the fibre coupler is arranged after the ridge waveguide. 
     
     
       9. An optical device according to  claim 8 , wherein the fiber coupler comprises an out-of-plane grating-to-fiber coupler, and wherein a pre-grating transition section having a gradual transition from a first width of the ridge waveguide to a second width of the out-of-plane grating-to-fiber coupler is arranged between the ridge waveguide and the out-of-plane grating-to-fiber coupler. 
     
     
       10. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical device is made of an III-V semiconductor material. 
     
     
       11. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical device is provided on a single substrate. 
     
     
       12. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the nanostructured section is a photonic crystal waveguide. 
     
     
       13. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the nanostructured section comprises a termination at a proximal longitudinal end of the slow-mode section. 
     
     
       14. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first nanostructure and the second nanostructure in the fast-mode section is stretched in the longitudinal direction so that a mutual longitudinal distance between holes of the nanostructures in the fast-mode section is at least 2% larger than the mutual longitudinal distance in the slow-mode section. 
     
     
       15. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the single-photon device is a single-photon emitter. 
     
     
       16. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the single-photon device is a quantum dot, a nanowire or a super-conducting wire. 
     
     
       17. An optical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the out-of-plane grating-to-fiber coupler comprises surface gratings. 
     
     
       18. An optical device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an optical fiber having a first end arranged so as to be able to couple in light from the out-of-[plane grating-to-fibre coupler, alternatively couple light emitted from the first end into the out-of-plane grating-to-fiber coupler. 
     
     
       19. An optical fiber according to  claim 18 , wherein the optical fiber is a single-mode fiber. 
     
     
       20. An optical device according to  claim 18 , wherein the optical device is further coupled to a demultiplexing setup using a pockels cell. 
     
     
       21. An optical device according to  claim 20 , wherein the pockels cell is arranged in a loop. 
     
     
       22. An optical device according to  claim 20 , wherein parallel trains of single photons are demultiplexed into individual optical fibers.